Windows Live Writer, Windows Live Movie Maker and Windows Live Mail haven’t gotten any major update, apart from the fact that they – and all other programs – are now tightly integrated with the Windows 7 taskbar to offer an easy way to access oft-used tasks through the jumplist feature. It’s quite cool, although it takes some time – it’d be best left to run overnight. Basically, if you have photographs where your eyes are shut or you aren’t smiling, and a similar photograph where you are smiling with eyes open, then the program automatically detects that and asks if you want to use the better expression in the first photograph. Windows Live Photo Gallery is the other program that really stands out, especially with the new feature of identifying faces and making the best photograph possible. The one downside of all this integration, though, is that you apparently can’t change your nickname anymore (or if you can, then I haven’t figured out how to). The popular instant messaging application has also finally gotten a tabbed interface for multiple chat windows, lessening the number of windows you have open at a time. The new Windows Live Messenger is the highlight of this release, featuring tight integration with Facebook chat, LinkedIn and a couple of other services.

Windows live essentials 2011